1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a head restraint assembly for a motor vehicle seat. More particularly, the invention relates to a head restraint assembly including a body portion that tilts forward relative to the motor vehicle seat.
2. Description of Related Art
A seat for a motor vehicle includes a seat cushion and a seat back pivotally secured thereto for movement between an upright use position and a stowed position. A head restraint extends vertically above a seat back to restrict movement of an occupant's head during high acceleration or deceleration rates, particularly during a rear impact collision. The head restraint is also designed to provide comfort to the occupant.
At the same time, the location of the head restraint above the seat back presents various challenges. First, when used in conjunction with a back seat or a back row of seats, the head restraint obstructs the driver's view to the rear thereof. Second, the head restraint increases the height of the seat. This increased height is a problem when designing stowable seats. More specifically, the head restraint may prohibit full pivoting of the seat back into a stowed position, thereby preventing an optimized load floor.
To address these problems, various retractable head restraint assemblies have been developed that move between an upright position and a forwardly-rotated stowed position. These retractable head restraint assemblies are well known to those skilled in the art.